February 2023 - 25

software displays are already used for TCMS, CCTV,
etc.). People who are not familiar with using such electronics
will often first question its robustness. In fact,
the newer screens are more durable than hardwired
devices. Capable of operating at temperatures so extreme
no human operator can be expected to be present,
one device type currently in service is reporting field
mean time between failure values exceeding 600,000
hours, which equates to approximately 70 years. With
the latest optical bonding technology, and the removal
of physical keys, these devices are even more incredibly
robust and reliable.
Another concern in the early years of deployment
was screen brightness and the ability to read displays
accurately in various light conditions. Modern train
control displays offer a brightness in excess of 1,000 nits
and automatically detect and adjust brightness based on
ambient light sensors (just like a smartphone).
Cybersecurity concerns extend to any software-based
component, and train control HMIs are no different.
Modern products have native cybersecurity mechanisms
such as TPM modules and secure boot processes. They
are fit for deployment in the most stringent cybersecurity
environments.
The historical objections to software-based train control
HMIs have been overcome. Indeed, 2023 will see
the first fully touchscreen train control HMIs enter revenue
service in the United States in a major mass transit
system. Several other projects are in the delivery stages
and will be commissioned in the next years. Operators
can expect the technology to continue to be deployed.
Innovations continue of course. The emerging
technologies, presented at the Innotrans Trade Show
in Berlin in September 2022, include a Heads-Up Display
(HUD) for train control systems. These systems
- currently being deployed in automobiles and heavy
haul equipment - project images in the line of sight
of operators, either directly on a windshield or on a
transparent screen called a combiner. The advantages
of HUD technologies are that critical information can
be communicated without the operator having to take
their eyes off of the operational field of view. Current
speed, for example, can be seen without looking down or
away and is projected into a field of view, which appears
some distance in front of the train.
As electronic train control screens and HUD technologies
are introduced into the field of train control,
they will reduce costs, increase operator efficiency and
comfort and, ultimately, support a better and safer experience
for the traveling public.
About the author
Blake Kozol is CEO of DEUTA AMERICA, Corp.
www.pennmach.com
For more information, visit www.MassTransitmag.com/10065912
FEBRUARY 2023 | MassTransitmag.com 25
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February 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of February 2023
